2020 Women in RE: Diana Sweeney, EnergyWatch LLC

Name: Diana Sweeney

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Partner

Company Name: EnergyWatch LLC 

List up to three associations or organizations that you are currently a member of:

• New York Energy Consumers Council
• Building Owner and Managers Association
• Vistage International

What recent project or accomplishment are you most proud of?
In addition to my role at EnergyWatch, I’m the exec. director of NYECC, a not-for-profit, with most of the largest commercial landlords in NY as members. Due to COVID, both organizations needed to pivot to remote platforms. I planned and implemented the transitions, considering stakeholders’ needs. Both EnergyWatch and the NYECC are thriving and more collaborative, efficient, and impactful than pre-COVID-19. At NYECC, meeting attendance has more than doubled, and we’ve created a member-driven Diversity Committee. At EnergyWatch, weekly virtual staff meetings and team-building initiatives have preserved our inclusive culture and fostered a motivating environment for employees. 

What would you tell your daughter if she was interested in following in your footsteps?
I would tell her to have humility and hire people smarter than she is, a lesson I learned from Edward Gordon, who built a CRE brokerage firm from the ground up. If you surround yourself with people who excel at what they do, create a culture of collaboration, educate your staff and promote from within whenever possible, you will be on the road to success. Other words of advice: Always act with integrity, treat people with respect, own and learn from your mistakes, be open to change and growth, and listen to your gut. 

What is one characteristic that you believe every woman in business should possess?
Although it may sound trite, every woman in business needs to believe in herself and what she’s capable of accomplishing. There are so many potential setbacks and obstacles that derail many women from accomplishing their goals. For this reason, it’s important to stay the course in spite of it all, and drive matters to successful completion.

What trend(s) will dominate your industry in the next year?
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the energy management industry in many ways, creating a unique situation for an energy management software-as-a-service company like ours. As the workforce re-enters office spaces, there are concerns over the impact of indoor air quality safety measures on energy consumption and emissions. These shifts will cause inevitable variances to budgets and likely a resurgence in efficiency projects, resulting in a growing desire for more granular utility data to better explain changes to usage, cost, and emissions in the future.